Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Book Report: The E Myth Revisited

The hard knocks of owning a business, as understood by me of course.

So I just finished reading the book The E-Myth Revisited (Remember, big dork?). It had been recommended to me by several different people. It was very insightful, and I've learned a lot. It put a lot of things into perspective for me. For instance, if my business is going to succeed, then a lot of things will have to change, and I'm not just talking about taking pictures here. (But yah, there important too.) The point that hit home most for me was organizing your business. This will be...what separates the men from the boys, the amateurs from the pros, or those who will succeed from those who will fail. Organization. Organizing your business...Like into job details, positions, Manuel's, work flows, etc, etc. After a preliminary mock up, I've figured I'm doing the work of about 5 people, and will need to continue to do it if I want to stay in business. So let's see here...I'm not 5 people, and I sure as heck don't get paid to do the work of five people, but my business is growing, and I intend to keep it that way. So things will need to change.

Come to find out...You have to make a profit. In the beginning this was a hard concept to grasp. So many people blogged or lectured about "charging what your worth", and "not driving down the market", blah, blah, blah. Then there are those who, "Can't believe what some people charge!" Well believe it, because if you value their work, there worth every penny. As the daughter of salesman, I can't tell you how many times I heard "you get what you pay for", and I've always believed it. Now it somehow fits into my life in a bit of a different way.

Cold hard truth, It takes money to make money, something I've heard so much of lately. Owning your own photography business, not cheap by any means, ANY! Photography equipment (and we all know it's not cheap) is just the beginning. How about licenses, insurance, software, computers, office equipment, post processing, the list could go on, and on. I love the quote "Your business is either moving forward, or dieing." So true. Bur for a lot of people, myself included, its something you have to learn the hard way.

Since I'm pretty much, the new kid in town, my words are probably falling on deaf ears. But I feel I've learned a lot in this short time, knowledge I am so grateful for. Which brings me to my last point.

An over saturated market. There are tons of people who pick up a camera, fall in love with it, and then call themselves a photographer. Case in point, Me. That's right I picked up a camera, learned to take pictures (sometimes really good ones), and the rest is history. Or so you think. I have put my heart and soul into what I do, it comes second only to my family. I have, and will make the most out of what this business has become, and I'm excited to grow it further.

1 comment:

Soooo...what you're telling me is I can get a photo shoot for 5 bucks???Business is hard work, but I know if anyone can do it...you can.If you ever need someone to help with organizing..I'm always game. AND I'm free. :)